Thermo-electric cell.



0 0 m 3 2 .L c 0 d e t n e t a P I H .H M S H w T S 0 F .L

THERMO ELECTRIC CELL.

(Application filed June 28, 1900.)

(N0 Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE;

ERNEST F. YOST AND WILLIAM H. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TH ERMO-ELECTRIC CELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,138, dated October 23, 1900.

Application filed June 28, 1900.

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ERNEST F. YOsT and WILLIAM H. SMITH, of the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thermo-Electric Cells, of which the followin g is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improved form of thermo-electric cell; and it consists in the construction of said cell whereby a current of refrigerating fluid is led through its interior, in the arrangement of the fluid-conducting tubes to serve also as circuit-terminals in the cell, in the shielding of one of the elements of the thermo-electric couple by a substance which prevents said element being attacked by any constituent of the other element, in the construction of the joint to be heated so as to insure closeness under differences of temperature and to compensate for contraction and expansion of the cell-body, in the specific combination of parts in the cell herein illustrated, and in the various other features of improvement, as more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of our improved thermo-electric cell on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like I parts.

A is a body of metal, preferably copper, to which mass the heat which excites the cell is applied. To the face B of the mass A is secured, as by brazing or soldering, a shell or casing (3, preferably made of an alloy containing iron, copper, and nickel, commonly known in the market as I A metal. The exact proportions are: iron, 0.80 per cent; nickel, 42.10 per cent., and copper, 57.10 per cent. but it may be constructed of copper or any other metal which is electropositive in the thermoelectric couple of the cell. Upon the said face 13 is also brazed or soldered or otherwise suitably secured the conducting-piece D, which is constructed and arranged for a special purpose, to be hereinafter noted. As specifically illustrated, it is made of a short copper tube bent over, with its parts substantially parallel, the part E being flattened, and thus made substantially solid, and the other part F left tubular. Surrounding the bend Serial No- 21,902. (No model.)

in the piece D is a sleeve S, of asbestos or otherinsulating material. The exposed surface of the part E is also covered with insulating material T, such as any suitable insulating-paint. The piece D is embedded in a mass G of metal, which in the cell is electronegat-ive. We preferably employ antimony, either alone or in alloy, with another metal, such as zinc; but it is to be understood that in no case is the proportion of metal with which the antimony is alloyed to be so great as to permit any attack by said alloying metal upon the electropositive element with which it may come in contact.

The shell C has a lining of refractory insulating material H, such as mica or asbestos, and is filled for a distance equal to about fiveeighths of its heightnneasured from the face B of the copper mass A, with an alloy of antimony and zinc I', which forms the main portion of the electronegative element. The proportion of zinc in the alloy need not be considered with reference to its attacking effect upon the electropositive element, because the latter is shielded by the mass G, in which it is embedded, this being the object of said mass.

In the walls of the shell 0 are made opposite openings, one of which receives the short copper sleeve J, soldered or otherwise secured in place and lined with refractory insulating material K. This sleeve receives the copper tube L, which extends into the shell and has its inner end flared and lined with insulating material M. In said end is received the tapered end of a copper tube N, which passes through the shell-wall and is soldered or otherwise secured therein. This j unction of the tubes L and N is watertight. A plate of copper O is placed upon the face of the mass I and the remainder of the interior of the shell is filled with solder P, in which the sleeve and tubes are firmly embedded. A layer of insulating material It covers the solder, and finally the large end of the shell is closed by a plate Q, of copper, also soldered in place. The whole cell thus becomes a solidmass of various materials, all firmly united together. When itis in 0p oration, the heating-flame is applied to the projecting copper mass A, and thus the joint between the piece D, which is electroposinegativennass .I.

- tronegative element,.so that abstractionof addition to serving as conduits for'the'refrigwithinthe shelLO werefirmly held-at-both;

ends of the-shellexpansion.of the celtwould.

pands.

The followingprincipal. advantagesresult.

in.a metalor alloy containing no substance tube L, which is insulated from the shelljC,

is in electricalconnection with the electro- The joint betweeni tube L" and mass I is cooled by passing a stream of Water or other refrigerating fluid continuously through the tubes L and Nwhile the ...mass having no projecting plates or other element is in operation. Adifit'erence of elec-s. trical potential is therefore caused between the hot joint at D 'an'd the cool jointat' the tube L. The tubes L and. N therefioregina' eratingfluid, also serve as terminals andcircuit connections for the cell.

Referring'again .to the piece D, if. themetal.

resultin acracking or tearing open of-the middle portion ofthealloy I. Thebend. of the piece .D andthe part E of said-piece arepre- I materials constituting the.ther.mo-electric ele vented from adhering to the surrounding. metal by the insulating-coverings. Therefore the parts F E may open slightly under strain, andthus prevent the difficulty above. noted.. The joint between the tubular part F of piece D and the inclosingmass G obviously becomes tighter when the part F. ex-

from the above-described construction:

First. Refrigeration of the jointto becooled. takes place indirect-proximity to=the electronegative metal and within the mass of the. cell itself. This allows ofthe cell being made. of probably the smallest possible size, since it is not necessary to enlarge itsiproportionsin order to give an extensive radiating or. cooling surface,.as is requisite when the atmosphere or the proximity of a water-jacket. at the base only of the cellis dependedupon for coolingpurposes.

Second. There isacontinuous fiowof water. or other refrigeratingliquid through-the elec-.

heat at the joint to be cooled is continuously effected.

Third. The circulating-tubes serve both as. conduits for the water-supply and also as circuit-terminals for the cellor connections be tween successive cells.

Fourth- The large heat-receiving massA serves substantially as a heat-reservoir and insures uniform: and steady heat-supply at. the joint to be heated.

Fifth. The construction of the contact--. piece 1) prevents anyim pairment of the heated.

joint by reason of contraction. or expansion. I

of. the body of the cell andsecures the tight'-. ness of the joint.

Sixth. The embeddingof the heated joint.

whichwill attack the electropositive metal, tendingtorender it brittle or otherwise im.- pair it, allows of the use of an electronegative alloy whichotherwise, because of some oneor more of its ingredients; might attack the electropositive metal, since the electropositive metal is shielded from such attack. SeventhiT-he presence of the copper plate 0 between the mass I and the solderin which the water tuhesareaembedded insures a close conducting-joint between the electronegative mass I. andthe mass of solder P.

Eighthi The whole element is a firm solid portions intended to increase the radiatingsurface and no parts liable to be bent or brokentoff or otherwise injured.

'Nin'th'; The water tubes serve both as conduits for a refrigeratingiluidand also as circuit. terminals-and connections. Hence no separate circuit terminals or connections are needed Tenth. The joints to beheatedaud cooled are hermetically sealed, and. hence not subject to corrosion by the atmosphere.-

' We do not limit ourselves to the particular :ments herein specifically described,.nor to the shell. shaped inthe form of apyramidal frus- .tum,.nor to the configuration of the part A or. its proportionate .sizeas shown to the cell proper, nor..to the-specific shape of the part 1), nor to the relative proportionate masses of thesubstanceswithin the cell- We-doinot claim. herein; the'= construction andazarrangement of. the heating portion A, either individually or incombination with the shell 0, nor tothearrangement of. heating-.fluesand connectionsresulting from the use of two or-more suchi cellsashere illustrated, nor. the mode of electrically joining said. cells int battery or of connecting the tubes for the refrigerating fluid, these matters-beingfully describedland claimedin another applicationtfor. Letters Patent filed simultaneously herewith, Serial No. 21,904, series of 1900.

We.claim 1. In a thermo-electric cell containinga.

mass forming. one element of the thermo electric couple,.a-.tuhe in electrical. connection with saidinass andiadaptedto conveyacurrent of refrigerating .fiuidthro'ugh the body thereof, substantially as described.

2. In. a..thern1o-electric cell. containing a mass ofmetalformingone element of the thermo-electric couple, ajoint to be cooled formed byembedding a tube within. said ni'ass, the said. tube being adapted to convey a current of refrigeratingfluid for cooling said joint by conduction through the wall of said. tube, substantially as described.

3. In. a: thermo-electric cell containing. a joint to be heated, a joint to be cooled, and two tubes of conducting material. electrically connected respectively with said joints but in- :sulated fromoneanother and adapted toconyey a current of refrigerating;liquidinprox-' imity to said joint to be cooled, substantially as described.

IIO

4. A thermo-electric cell having one element of the thermoelectric couple inclosed Within the other element of said couple, a tube electrically connected with the inclosing element andinsulated from the element inclosed and a tube electrically connected with the inclosed element and insulated from the inclosing element; the said tubes being insulated from one another and mechanically connected to convey fluid through said cell, substantially as described.

5.. In a thermo-electric cell having a joint between the elements of the thermo-electric couple, whereat temperature differences produce differences in electrical potential, a shield interposed between said elements at said joint and constructed of electrically-cond ucti ng material incapable of attacking either of said elements, substantially as described.

6. In a thermo-electric cell, an electropositive element, an electronegative element capable of attacking the same, and a mass of electronegative metal incapable of attacking said electropositive element; the said mass being interposed between and in contact with said elements, substantially as described.

7. In a thermo-electric cell, an element of copper, a mass of conducting metal incapable of attacking said element, and an element of antimony-zinc alloy; the said mass being interposed between and in contact with said elements, substantially as described.

8. In a thermo-electric cell, an element of copper, a mass of antimony and an element of antimony-zinc alloy; the said antimony being-interposed between and in contact with said elements, substantially as described.

9. The combination in a thermo-electric cell of an electropositive element, an electronegative element and a bent contact-piece having substantially-parallel arms, one of said arms being united to said positive element and the other to said negative element, substantially as described.

10. The combination in a thermo-electric cell of an electropositive element, an electronegative element and a bent contact-piece having substantially-parallel arms, one of said arms being united to said positive element and the other united to and embedded in said negative element, substantially as described.

11. The combination in a thermoelectric cell of the inclosing electropositive element A, C, Q internal electronegative element, insulated tube L electrically connected with said negative element and insulated tube N electrically connected with said positive element, substantially as described.

12. In a thermo-electric cell, having an outer electropositive shell and an inner electronegative solid mass, circulating-tubes for a refrigerating fluid embedded in metal Within said shell, and a conducting-plate 0 between said metal and said electronegative mass, substantially as described.

13. A thermo-electric cell having a shell or envelop containing forty-two per cent. of cop- ERNEST F. YOS'I. WILLIAM H. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WM. H. SIEGMAN, I. A. VAN WART. 

